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Everyday Uses for Eucalyptus Essential Oil and a Homemade Natural Vapor Rub Recipe
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Eucalyptus essential oil might be one of the most recognized scents of all the essential oils if, like me, you grew up being slathered with Vick’s VapoRub at the first sign of a cold. I loved the smell of that stuff, and even today, the scent of eucalyptus takes me back to cold winter days at my Grandma’s house. I always knew that when I got sick Grandma would come through with two things — Vick’s and lemon eucalyptus cough drops.
My sweet grandmother used this miracle salve for more than breaking up congestion and soothing my nighttime cough. I watched her rub it into her sore arthritic knees, smear it along window sills to keep out spiders and ants, and one time she used it to remove gum from my hair. Of course some of these miraculous results can be attributed to camphor and petroleum jelly, but I have to believe that the touch of eucalyptus oil found in the list of ingredients was at least somewhat responsible for quieting my cough, and maybe some of her other successes.
Eucalyptus essential oil doesn’t have the ancient history behind it that some oils do, but once it was discovered by aboriginal Australians and used to relieve pain, fever, sinus congestion, and colds, it wasn’t long before the tremendous benefits of this oil spread around the world. Late in the 19th century surgeons began using it as an antiseptic during sugeries, and soon after hospitals in Europe began using it to clean urinary catheters. In the U. S., it has been registered as an insecticide since 1948.
As you can see, eucalyptus essential oil has a broad range of health benefits. These benefits include:
Respiratory support
Cleansing wounds
Treating olds and Flu
Anti-microbial
Insecticide
Anti-inflammatory
Dental health
Immune system support
Improve mental alertness
Here are some everyday uses for eucalyptus essential oil:
Add up to 5 drops of eucalyptus oil to a tablespoon of carrier oil and rub on chest, neck, and the bottoms of feet to relieve cough and congestion from colds and flu.
Add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil to your diffuser, (along with peppermint, lemon, and lavender if you wish), to relieve symptoms of seasonal allergies.
Add 10 drops per ounce of eucalytpus oil to your shampoo to help maintain beautiful hair and a healthy scalp.
Add 10-20 drops of eucalyptus essential oil to a spray bottle and add warm water. (Add a few drops of your other favorite essential oils such as lemon, orange or tea tree, if you like) to clean and disinfect surfaces.
Mix 5 drops with a tablespoon of carrier oil and rub into sore joints and muscles for pain relief.
Essential oils are highly concentrated, strong, and powerful liquids that can be harmful if not used carefully and properly. Essential oils can cause irritation when applied to the skin, even in diluted amounts. Use caution when using them. Please keep essential oils out of reach of children. Please do not use this essential oil on babies, toddlers, or children under the age of 10 yearss.
Eucalyptus is my favorite essential oil to treat cough and cold symptoms. Coupled with peppermint and rosemary, it makes a wonderful chest rub to help relieve sinus and chest congestion, and make breathing easier, especially at night when these symptoms tend to worsen.
Keep Reading for a homemade chest rub recipe for adults and another safe for babies under 3.
